Old school BMX. Who grew up in the 80's?

[i*windows]

Raleigh Burner mid 80's all chrome -

[onlyomar]

Early to mid 80s here. My best friend raced quite a bit and had a modest level of success. He would destroy me when we tried to race. I was only somewhat into it. I would do relatively tame stuff, small jumps, etc. mostly just rose arode the neighborhood on my bike. Nothing special but I thought it was sweet, maybe because I paid for it with my own money. A chrome Rampar with metallic red rims, pedals and handlebars, a red Tuf-neck and red Oakley grips.

[hogan234]

I remember when Oakley meant grips.

[Spicoli]

I had POS rampar with Tuffy wheels. I had serious redline and pk ripper envy back then.

[bscinstnct]

I put myself into the most crazy, life threatening situations on me bmx.

 

What a rush ; )

[OfficeNerd]

I had a couple, but the one I rode the most was a Mongoose Pro XL, all aluminum. My shins still show the marks from the pedals.

[cmcdonald]

I had a couple, but the one I rode the most was a Mongoose Pro XL, all aluminum. My shins still show the marks from the pedals.

 

 

i dont know if the crupi's or the gt platforms were worse " my shins still hurt "

[golfingjohn]

Never advanced beyond the schwinn scrambler, but I always thought the PK Ripper was the best frame design.

[medicoreMAgolfer]

Wow, just discovered this thread... (what a great trip down memory lane. )

 

I had a Diamond Back Formula One that I got in 1983. My mom kept it around for me for 30 years in her basement, so I grabbed it and now my kids ride it. It was my oldest's (now 12) primary bike from 9 until his 12th birthday. When I take it to the shop to get tuned up the old gear heads there love it. Still is super light, love that bike. I had Oakley grips, but then switched to Mushrooms, which are still on the Bike. I still have the bear claw pedals, but my wife insisted we remove them for my kid when he was 9...

 

I remember Diamond Back, GT, Redline, Hutch, and Mongoose as the big brands in the neighborhood then. I still remember my subscriptions to BMX Action and BMX Plus. I recall one cover with Bob Haro jumping over a bunch of 911's. To a 10 year old kid, that was as good as porn...

 

(Also had a G&S skateboard, but that thing is long gone. My wife bought me a longboard for my 40th birthday a few years back. It looks cool, but I can't risk a broken wrist with all the money I spend on golf memberships!)

[DeeSee]

Well read this thread

 

Checked out my shins, knees and elbow for the memories ( chipped tooth too)

 

Can't believe I gave away my bmx all those who years ago

 

Just looked at some prices to rebuild one simular, looks like golf is the cheaper option!

 

Film wise it was bmx bandits, my brothers and I used to rent it almost every week, the owner of the video shop gave it to my mum in the end.

[rainkingjr]

I still have my 1984 Diamondback Harry Leary Turbo. This is just the frame/forks. I have the rest of the bike in a box somewhere. I think I have the complete bike. Except for the spokes for the rims. Rest of the bike is OG. Anyone else here ride BMX in the early 80's?

Brings back memories. Back when diamondbacks weren't sold at box stores.

 

Or Mongoose. You had to buy at a legit bike shop.

 

I had an 82 Mongoose. Chrome with black SkywayTuff 1 star wheels. Snake belly tires. Shimano cranks. Fluted seat post, Shotgun II seat. Double gooseneck (later switched to a Tuffneck) Cost my old man about $300 (decent amount of money in 82) to buy me that bike for Christmas. We weren't wealthy either and if I remember correctly that was around the time my father would be laid off often. (We received food stamps for a short time, reduced lunch tickets, Block cheese and powdered milk, etc..) Not for long though as my father was a worker and I know it tore him up to have to resort to that. I appreciate that bike so much more now and wish I still had it. I have a great father.

 

This thread takes me back. I'd jumped anything on that bike (I have the scars to prove it) I remember we literally built a BMX track behind the shopping center near my neighborhood. When I think back, I realize it took a tremendous amount of work to do, but me and my buddies were committed to it and got the job done. Such simpler times. Nothing was handed to you. You made things happen for yourself. BMX was awesome.

[Ascan]

This thread brings back a lot of memories...I had a GT and a Haro.

 

And piles of BMX Plus and BMX Action magazines!

[Bob Cat]

In the mid/late 70's, Webco was king.

[HackerDave]

Back in high school (graduated in '81) the brand of choice was Redline. I was a poor kid and could never think of owning one.

[Bob Cat]

Back in high school (graduated in '81) the brand of choice was Redline. I was a poor kid and could never think of owning one.

 

I too graduated HS in '81 and Redline was certainly a serious player in the mid/late 70's as well.

[929rob]

I had a redline rl II with profile 3pc cranks, araya7x wheels and race inc bars. Rode the s*** out that bike until my late teens when I got my first of many motorcross bikes.

[Swingingk]

This thread brings back so many memories. I can't believe I never broke a bone in the 80's! I remember one time when the handle bar screws came lose in the middle of a jump attempt. I went over the front and had tread marks on my forehead.

 

We had this old abandoned apartment foundation that never go poured. It was dug out and then the developer went bankrupt and just left the hole there. Would never fly these days but to us, it was the best thing ever. About 5 feet deep. Some days we'd jump all day in that hole. Others, we'd literally pick teams and have rock fights! There were two huge piles of dirt and clay on either side of the pit and we'd get behind them and throw rocks at each other till one team cried uncle. Could go for hours.

 

We'd also play tag on bikes where you had to knock another guy off his and that made him it!

 

The stupid things I did on a bike....

 

Had a mongoose for a couple years and some kind of kuhahara but I don't remember which. Maybe all the rocks to the head gave me memory loss....

 

This thread is so great. I was 12 in 1980 and BMX was big for me. I couldn't believe it when I read the above post - it is almost word-for-word exactly what I would have written! The rock fight made me lol. What a totally cool era to grow up in...

 

 

[KPHayes]

Just had my Rad Racing shirt signed by Bart "The Man"

Taylor a couple of weeks ago. Loved BMX as a kid.

[ChronicSlicer]

Awesome thread...bear trap pedals...would rip the skin from your shin in a instant haha.

 

 

 

Had them on a Haro DV8 Megatube, used to file them down to make them even sharper. Had a few DiamondBacks too. Good times...

[gunslinger646]

Grew up watching "rad" the movie..... win 500$ in an art contest.... bought myself a badass haro master.... bought my younger brother a haro invert...... great times. Rad racing rules!

[poops]

All I can say is - "this thread is beautiful"!! This really took me back...